Macheath "Claws" Dawes
Page under-reconstruction)))) Macheath "Claws" Dawes is a notorious Kul Tiran highwayman. He has exploited his skills as a druid in favor of personal gain, manipulated hundreds as a public figure, and escaped from prison no less than four times. He currently resides in Elwynn Forest, quite likely plotting something unseemly. Appearance Human Form Macheath is a force to be reckoned with, big and burly, with mass and appetite to challenge even a Pandaren. His tanned and flushed face belies the mark of many a bar room brawl, with a number of jagged scars, and on its left side, a maimed, likely sightless eye. Upon closer examination one might notice that his nose is slightly askew and he has several golden teeth, which he often displays in a wide, smarmy grin. Macheath has long ago disregarded the foppish attire of Kul'tiran nobility, choosing instead the rustic robes of a Thornspeeker. Possessions Macheath keeps a staff embroidered with a human skull and rose on him at all times. It is a well known fact that he also keeps a jackknife hidden out of site, should the need arise. Personality -He is also a womanizer, and isn't above a visiting certain questionable locale in Elwynn from time to time. Abilties Macheath is a shapeshifter and a master of disguise. He can change into many different forms, due to the gifts granted to him as a druid, and these forms grant him respective abilities. In addition, he is a deadly with a knife, and has a great amount of skill in manipulating plantlife. History Early Life Dawes was born in one of the poorer areas of Mariner's Row into a life of poverty. He was a sickly child, and his first years were rather rough. He had a second brother, Karis, who suffered from insanity. His parents both died when Macheath was young, and his brother was later locked away in an Asylum on Gilneas' western coast. Without parents to support him, a young Macheath wandered into Drustvar, searching for a job in lumber. What he found, however, were the Thornspeakers, a group of arboreal spellcasters dedicated to preserving the balance of Kul Tiras and keeping watch over the gate to the infamous Blighted Lands. Over the coming years, these druids took Macheath in and taught him their ways. Life of Crime By age 20, Macheath showed great promise as a Thornspeaker, traveling the countryside and earning many friends along the way. His wit, staggering height, and charm made him popular among women. However, Macheath grew tired of his simple life, and looked to thievery to improve his standards of living. Macheath's first attempts at theft were simple petty thievery, and his misplaced pride got the best of him when he pickpocketed a visiting mage of Dalaran and was frozen during his attempt at escape. The City Guard had Dawes imprisoned overnight on the top floor of a Tol Dagor, pending further questioning, but Macheath escaped within three hours by breaking through the timber ceiling and lowering himself to the ground with a rope fashioned from bedclothes. Still wearing irons, the thief coolly joined the crowd that had been attracted by the sounds of him breaking out. He distracted their attention by pointing to the shadows on the roof and shouting that he could see the escapee, and then swiftly departed. Shortly thereafter, he broke into a pawnbroker's shop in during the night, taking a black silk suits, a silver sword, rings, watches, a wig, and other items. He dressed himself as a dandy gentleman and used the proceeds to spend a day and the following evening on the tiles with two mistresses. He was arrested a second time time in the early morning, blind drunk. This time, he was imprisoned long enough to be tried, and was sentenced to several years in prison. Having loosened an iron bar in a window used when talking to visitors, he was visited by an accomplice, who distracted the guards while he removed the bar. Using his druidic magic to transform into a cat, his newly slight build enabled him to climb through the resulting gap in the grille. Once through, he was smuggled out of Tol Dagor in women's clothing that his visitor had brought him. He took a coach to a nearby pier, and then stowed away on a boat back to Drustvar, where he had hidden his goods. Macheath remained among the Thornspeakers for several years, furthering his expertise of shapeshifting and restoration, while continuing to make headlines as a thief. Unfortunately, the druids eventually learned of his crime-ridden, murderous, hedonistic lifestyle and excommunicated him. Highwayman career Realizing how well guarded Boralus was, and that his dominion over nature could be used to his advantage, Macheath decided to put his skills to work as a highwayman. Dawes took to the roads, holding up wealthy merchants, nobles, and even soldiers. Using his powers as over the earth and its plants, Macheath was able to not only able to camouflage himself perfectly, but subdue any foes with entangling roots and sleeping spells. In the off occasion that he needed to fight, Macheath was an expert swashbuckler, and quickly did away with any assets, and could destroy any evidence with ease. He became known in the press as "The Hierophant Highwayman". As Dawes' robberies added up, so did his notoriety. The Ashvane Company, which had grown thoroughly tired of his harassment, put a hefty price on his head. Consequently, while fencing stolen goods through a particularly unsavory pirate, Dawes was betrayed and captured. He was detained this time in a lighthouse off Gilneas' coast, locked in its uppermost tower with a female pirate. By low tide the next day, the two had filed through their manacles; they removed a bar from the window and used their knotted bed-clothes to descend to ground level. They then clambered over the rocky cliffside, waded through the water, and made their way to shore. This feat was widely publicized, and became a great embarrassment for House Ashvane. He would use his newfound wealth and companionship to expand his enterprise into the sea, purchasing a ship and a small crew, although the corrupt house would dog him at every turn, using their connections with local assassins and freebooters. Dawes, ever the contrarian, became a revolutionist rabble rouser, robbing only Ashvane vessels and using his legendary status among the Tirasian working class to stir up dissent. For Lord Ashvane, this was enough, and he sent one of his fiercest mercenaries, Riada of Stormwatch, on a search and destroy mission to end his reign over the countryside once and for all. After a few weeks hunt, the warrior caught up with Dawes and his crew, who were holed up in Freehold. Desperate for their lives, Dawes and his companions opened fire on the barbarian's men, killing and injuring a few. Riada promptly killed the entire posse, as well as the sailors who took them in, and beat Macheath within an inch of his life. The Founding of Durotar Macheath's broken body was delivered to Tol Dagor once more, where he recovered in the deepest, darkest, most well guarded cell, awaiting his inevitable death sentence. However, things did not go as expected. The prison was eventually visited by representatives of Admiral Proudmoore himself, who wished to put the druid's skills to use in saving his daughter from the Horde. After the long journey to Kalimdor, Dawes served Kul Tiras as a privateer, bombarding Thrall's navy from afar with powerful Starsurges and surprising them with punishing boardings. Unfortunately, due to the treachery of Daelin's daughter, Macheath, along with the rest of the fleet, was overrun by the savage Horde. His ship was blown to the depths of the South Sea, although due to his mastery of aquatic form, he was able to slip through to Theramore with ease, wisely using this opportunity to escape once more. Macheath disguised himself and made his way among the cities' refugees, and would remain there for some time. Post Theramore Macheath currently operates out of Goldshire, using his thieving and new druidic skills to support his excessive expenditures. His shapeshifting abilities have given him a new nickname by both his admirers and his enemies, "Claws" Dawes. Category:Characters Category:Druids Category:Criminals Category:Tirasian Category:Human Category:Pirates